Marlborough family remembers 'active boy'

Thursday

Jan 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2008 at 1:30 PM

Darnell Cobb, the 5-year-old who choked to death on a city school bus yesterday, was an active kid who loved Spiderman, High School Musical 2, and anything outdoors, family members said earlier today. "He loved to run and jump. He was a very active boy," said Sonja Cobb, his mother. "His favorite thing to do at school was recess. He was an outdoors type of guy."

PDF: The mayor's letter to parents

Matt Lynch

Darnell Cobb, the 5-year-old who choked to death on a city school bus yesterday, was an active kid who loved Spiderman, High School Musical 2, and anything outdoors, family members said earlier today.

"He loved to run and jump. He was a very active boy," said Sonja Cobb, his mother. "His favorite thing to do at school was recess. He was an outdoors type of guy."

Darrell Douglas, 18, Darnell Cobb's older brother, said he was walking to class at the Community College of Rhode Island Wednesday when he received a call that his brother was at Marlborough Hospital.

While officials have refused to comment on what Darnell Cobb swallowed, family members said it was a thumbtack or pushpin type of item he had for a school project.

Mayor Nancy Stevens said Cobb was unconscious by the time paramedics responded to the bus on Maple Street at about 3:30 p.m. yesterday.

Stevens said a student sitting next to Cobb notified the driver something was wrong. Douglas said his younger brother was already in cardiac arrest when the girl sitting next to Darnell Cobb noticed.

As Cobb's family sat in their West Main Street apartment this afternoon looking at photos of the young boy, they said he was a bright young kid who also enjoyed reading.

In addition to Darrell Douglas, Cobb had an older brother, Dennis Douglas, 16, and a younger sister, Denisha Lafontant, 2.

"Somebody has to be held responsible for this," said Sonja Cobb, a full-time student at Clark University studying medical coding and billing.

Marlborough contracts its bus service to First Student, Inc., and company spokeswoman Nicole Maddock said earlier today the driver followed the proper procedure.

Maddock said drivers are not trained in CPR or any medical response but have a procedure for reporting a medical situation.

"The driver in this case followed all proper procedure," Maddock said. "She stopped the bus, contacted 911, and within minutes the child had medical attention."

City officials have described the death as a tragic, isolated accident.

"It's been very difficult for everyone," said Stevens. "A nurse at the hospital told me, there are certain events in your career that stay with you forever."

Grief counselors are at Francis J. Kane Elementary School today and emergency personnel will be debriefed this evening, officials said.

"It hits a lot harder on our guys when it's a youngster," said Fire Chief David Adams. "It's a parent's worst nightmare."